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Des Moines council names city 'Sixgill Shark Capital,' agrees proclamation for July 6
Summary
After public presentations by local divers, the Des Moines City Council voted to declare Des Moines the Sixgill Shark Capital of the World and authorized a July 6 proclamation; council also asked staff to study an honorary renaming of Sixth Avenue and to report back on signage and grant options.
Des Moines City Council on Thursday voted to declare Des Moines, Washington, the “Sixgill Shark Capital of the World” and directed staff to prepare a proclamation for July 6.
Local divers and advocacy groups urged the city to adopt the designation during public comment and a slide presentation that described Redondo as a unique local site where sixgill sharks are regularly seen at recreational dive depths. Councilmember Mahoney introduced the main motion and Deputy Mayor Steinmetz seconded it; the vote on the primary declaration was recorded as passing 5-2.
Why it matters: Presenters said the designation would build tourism, education and conservation attention for a species that local divers and some scientific sources list as uncommon in nearshore waters. Councilmembers discussed possible minimal city costs for a proclamation and expressed interest in ensuring any future expenditures are supported by specific cost estimates.
What the council approved and next steps: The council approved a proclamation for July 6 and then, in a separate action, asked staff to investigate the cost and process for an honorary renaming of Sixth Avenue as “Sixgill Shark Avenue” (spelled S I X G I L L) and to look for grant opportunities to fund interpretive signage and education panels. That second motion — to have staff return with cost estimates and grant options — passed unanimously, 7-0.
Debate and caveats: Several councilmembers, including Grace Matsui and others, emphasized a two-step approach: approve the proclamation now but return with a detailed financial plan before committing city funds for signage, street-name hardware or marketing. Councilmembers also discussed whether the community organizations proposing the idea would lead event programming and whether any city financial exposure would be limited.
Public input: Speakers at the meeting included divers and representatives of local dive shops who described Redondo as an established dive site with an active local diving community and noted interest from regional visitors. Presenters also proposed interpretive signage, volunteer fundraising for merchandise ("swag") sales, and educational partnerships with Highline College and local marine institutions.
What was not decided: The council did not approve physical signage, purchase orders, or capital spending on a downtown marketing program tonight; the council specifically directed staff to return with cost estimates and grant-sourcing options before approving such expenditures.
Ending: Councilmembers invited the diving community and other stakeholders to work with city staff on a proposal returning to the council with precise costs and potential funding sources for interpretive signs, honorary street naming and related programming.
